Thread controller for weft replenishing looms



INVENTOR ALBERT CEDERLUND ATTORNEY Dec. 0, 1940- -A. CEDERLUND THREAD CONTROLLER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed March 25,

Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES THREAD CONTROLLER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Albert Cederlund, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 25, 1940; Serial No. 325,795

11 Claims.

This invention relates to threadcontrollers for weft replenishing looms, more particularly the thread of the outgoing bobbin, and it is the general object of the invention -.to provide means for positively moving the thread into the zone of action of a pneumatic thread remover.

In weft replenishing looms a thread extends from the selvage to the shuttle eye :of the depleted bobbin at the time of transfer and it is necessary to removethis thread to prevent the same from being drawn into the shed. It has been proposed heretofore to employ pneumatic means for drawing the thread away from the lay and out of the path of the shuttle. portant object of my present invention to provide a thread placer operative on transferring beats of the loom to move the thread into a pneumatic tube located preferably onthe layand under the shuttle path.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a pneumatic tube and elongated slot in the upper side thereof to'receive a thread placer which moves down throug'hthe slot to a position near the bottom of the tube, thereby drawing part of the thread into the tube and taking up suflicient slack to tighten the thread so that it will beprcperly located for the thread cutter.

Weft replenishing mechanisms usually include in their construction the so-called shuttle *ieeler which acts to prevent transfer if the shuttle is improperly place'clto receive the incoming bobbin. The shuttle feeler usually includes a part movable across the path of the shuttle preparatoryto transfer. If the shuttle is properly placed the shuttle feelerhas a completed motion and transfer ensues, but if the shuttle is misplaced it interrupts motion of the shuttle feeler and'associated mechanism prevents transfer. It isa'further object of my present invention to control theaforesaid thread placer by-th'e shuttle feeler in such away'as to efi'ectmovement'of the thread placer intoa pneumatic tube when the shuttle is correctly placed for transfer, but prevent such movement if the shuttle is improperly located. This control is also instrumental in preventing the thr ad placer from moving into the path of the shuttle if the latter is misplaced. This last :feature of my invention depends upon the fact that it is the latter part of a complete motion of the shuttle feeler which gives the thread placer its operating movement. I

In a type of automatic loom which .has gone into extensive use a lever normally at .rest has an operating :movement preparatory to transfer :for the purpose of setting .certain parts .of the It is an imreplenishing'mechanism. This lever is normally at rest and is lifted during the first part .of .a pick in which a transfer is to occur. It is .a further object of my present invention to provide positioning devices for the thread .placer .Con- 25 nected to the lever and operatedby it .to set the thread placer for operation by theshuttle feeler.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a pneumatic thread receiver with an inlet which serves the dual purpose of affording no entry of the thread placer into the receiver and at thesame time permit an ,inrush of air .toact on the thread.

With these and other objects in view which .will appear as thedescription proceeds,my invention its resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and .set forth.

In the accompanying drawing,-wherein.a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa weft replenishing no mechanism having .my inventionapplied thereto as viewed from the center of the loom, .certain parts being in section,

Fig. 2is a detailedfront elevationinthe xdirectionof arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 .is aplan view-in the .directionpf arrow Fig. 4 is aidetail horizontal section on an ,enlarged scale on .line 4-4 of Fig.2,

Fig. 5 is anenlarged vertical section through so the pneumatic tube showing the. thread placer and thread in the tube and .takenbn ,line..5.,5 of

Fig.3,

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a part of .the setting mechanism .for the thread placer,

Fig. '7 .isa diagrammatic .view showing the ,re- .lation of the shuttleand thread .controllertothe cloth being woven andother parts of the loom,

and

Fig. 8 is a-detail view partly ,inseotion ,show- 40 'ing the relation of the thread, its placer andthe pneumatic tube as they appear in atransferring .operationof the loom. p

.In carrying my invention into effect, .Iprovide .a doom .frame 10 which supports .foot 1] of a magazine .designatedgenerallyat .M. This .mag- .azine may beof the type shown in .my prior Patent'No. 2,128,915 and .in thepresent instance provides two distinctivetypes of reserve bobbins only oneof which is indicated at B in Fig. 21. The magazine includes in its construction a transfer arm l2 pivoted as at [3 and having attached thereto a latch holder It provided with ;a latch 15. The lay L swings about an axis lowin-the 1oom frame andreciprocates horizontallytoward and from forward or beat-up position. The transferrer is operated by a dagger I6 on the lay as the latter approaches front center or beat-up position on the transferring pick of the loom. A shuttle S provided with a bobbin W of the usual construction is picked back and forth across the lay and travelsalong a shuttle race H.

The mechanism for setting the latch and determining the position of the shuttle along the length of the lay includes a lever 28 normally at rest in low position to be lifted by a dog 2| on a regularly rocking lever 22 which has a rising motion every second beat of the loom starting when the shuttle to be replenished is on that side of the loom opposite the magazine, or when the depleted shuttle is traveling toward the magazine. Lever 20 has a stud 23 received by a yielding rod head |8 having two parts 24 and 25 ordinarily held together by a spring 26 so that up motion of the lever will raise a rod 21 connected to the head l8. When relative motion between the rod and lever is necessitated by a misplaced shuttle the parts 24 and 25 separate as indicated in dotted lines in the lower part of Fig. 1 so that the stud can move upwardly between said parts.

The shuttle feeler and latch placer are mounted on a setting lever 30 rockable about a fixed pivot 3| and pivoted as at 32 to a rod head 33 on the upper end of rod 21. Moving with the lever 30 is a latch lifter 34 for engagement with the latch l5, and a shuttle feeler 35. The setting lever is normally in the down full line position shown in Fig. 1, but when a transfer-is initiated hereinafter with the thread placer.

The loom is also provided with a thread accumulator 40 which may be formed as a hollow cylinder from which extends a tube 4| provided for the purpose of directing threads into the accumulator. The latter is connected to mechanism not shown herein for creating a partial vacuum therein as shown in co-pending application Serial No. 199,169. It is thought sumcient for present purposes to state that subatmospheric pressures will be created in the accumulator and therefore tube 4| at the proper time to remove a thread from the lay, preferably during the picking which immediately follows a transferring operation. I do not wish however to be limited to any particular means or. time of operation for the creation of reduced pressures in the accumulator, since it is sufficient if these pressures exist at those times in the operation of the loom when the thread. of the outgoing bobbin is capable of time of transfer to sever the thread and permit the outgoing. bobbin to unthread the shuttle eye 'The remainder of the thread extending toward the selvage lies along the shuttle race I1 and over the thread remover forming an important part of my present invention and to be described hereinafter.

The matter thus far described, except as indicated hereinafter, is of usual construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention and reference may be had tothe aforesaid patent and co-pending application for a further understanding and structure of the operation of the setting lever 30 and the thread accumulator 40.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a U-shaped tube 50 the upper part of which is located in a slot 5| extending transversely across the lay under the path of the shuttle. The lower part of tube 50 fits into a rubber tube 4| while the upper part if provided with a longitudinal slot 52 and closed at its rear end as at '53. It is therefore apparent that whenever subatmospheric pressures are created in the accumulator 40 there will be an inrush of air into the slot 52. This slot as shown in Fig. 1 extends across the greater part of the shuttle race and as shown more particularly in Fig. 7, it will lie under that part of the weft thread which extends from the selvage to the shuttle eye.

The placer mechanism for the thread is mounted on the lay and comprises a stand 55 bolted or otherwise secured to the front of the lay as at 56 and affording support for the tube 50 which is welded or otherwise secured to the stand. The latter has pivoted thereto as at 51 an upright lever 58 the upper arm 59 of which has'secured thereto a thread placer wire 60. This wire is formed as shown more particularly in Fig. 8 and has a relatively high straight horizontal section 6| which ends in a downwardly inclined part 62 from which extends rearwardly a substantially straight and normally horizontal section 63. In order to prevent this latter section from lying too closely along the bottom of tube 58 a slight downward bend 64 may be formed in the wire. As shown in Fig. 8 the downward bent part 62 of the wire normally lies near the forward end of the slot 52. Y

The lower arm 18 of lever 58 is pivoted as at 1| to a rearwardly extending hook 12 passing through a slot 13 in the under side of the lay in which is located the lower part of tube 50. This hook projects beyond the rear part of the lay and ispositioned for engagement by a placing lever 15 secured to a small shaft 16 journaled in a bearing bracket 11. Shaft 16 extends substantially parallel to the lay and the outer end thereof carries an arm 18 pivoted to the upper end of a rod 19 the lower end of which is pivoted at to the lever 28. The placing lever 15 may be formed with a pair of spaced plates 8| between which lies a hook engaging plate 82 having two oblique surfaces 83 and 84 which define a lifting shoulder 85, see Fig. 6. The rear end of the hook normally rests on the plate 82 between the side plates 8|.

In order to hold lever 58 frictionally to any position to which it may be moved I provide the structure shown in Fig. 4. The stand or bracket 55 has a forwardly projecting arm 88 in which is located the pin definin the previously described pivot 51. This pin extends through a hub 89 on the lever 58 provided with a series of holes 90 for the reception of compression springs 9|. A cotter pin or the like 92 holds the hub close to the arm 88, while the springs press against this arm 88 and thereby establish frictional contact between lever 58 and its supporting arm 88 sufficient to hold the lever in any position to which it may be moved.

away from thehook 1.2; The Irod l9 isirelatively long and extends "downwardly'to' a position not farremoved from theaxis'about which the "lay swings. When theexh'austed'shuttleis on the side of the loom opposite the magazineand the lay is moving from front center rearwardly toward picking position, rod 20 will start upwardly if the loom has been set for a transferring operation. This upward motion of lever 2|] raises'the rod 79 and causes a left hand rocking of shaft 16 as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby rocking lever'15to the left so that the plate 82 will move the book 12 rearwardly to the position-shown in dotted lines in 'Fig. 1. This causes a right hand. rocking of lever 58 which raises the thread placer 60 from the normally down position in tube'tfl shown in full lines in'Fig. 1 to the elevated position'shown in dotted lines. It is to be understood that this lifting of the wire or placer 60 occurs whilethe lay is in the rearward part of its range of motion and before the shuttle reaches the placer.

Assuming that the shuttle will reach proper position for transfer in the shuttle box X,'the shuttle feeler will move rearwardly toward the dotted position of Fig. 1 during the latter part of the upward motion of lever 20 through the connections already'described and including rod 21 and lever 30. During this rearward motion the shuttle feeler will be free to have a complete motion due to the assumption that the shuttle is properly placed for transfer and a portion of the shuttle feeler designated at 95 in Fig. Swill engage a part 96 of the placerBlJ above the pivot 51 and will therefore rock lever 58 in a left hand direction, referring to Fig. l, to lower the placer 60.

As theplacer descends and enters the slot 52 it will carry a portion of the thread into the tube 59 as suggested inFigs. 5 and 8. These "operations occur after the shuttle has been boxed and while the lay is near or in its front center'position. Movement of the thread into the tube '50 tightens those parts of the thread extending from the slot 52 to the selvage and to the shuttle eye, thereby insuring location of the thread across the plate '55 when the cutter 46 movesrearwardly to sever the thread. This tightening of the thread also maintains tension on that part of the thread in the shed which might otherwise'be lost as a result of the cutting.

Downward motion of the placer 60 is of course attended by a corresponding forward motion of the hook '72, but since lever 20 willremain up during and for a short time subsequent'to transfer, provision must be made for permitting forward motion of the hook. It is'for thisreason that I form the lever of the parts shown in Fig. 6. When lever 15 moves to the dottedposition shown in Fig. 1 it first moves the hook rearwardly to raise'the placerfifi, after which the-lever continues to turn until shoulder lifts-the hook out of holding engagement with the plate 82 before part engages the "thread placer. As the shuttle feeler lowersthe wire 60 the'rear end of the hook will slide up along the surface83 of plate 82. It is to be understood of course that the frictional device shownin Fig.4 willhold'the wire or placer 60 in raisedposition'a'fter shoulder 85 disengages the hook 12 'fromfarm '15.

If, on the other hand, the shuttle'isnotproperly placed it will interfere with rearward motion of the shuttle feeler and the arm 30 'will'not 'b'e able to reach the dotted line position shownin Fig. 1. Under these conditions the two parts 2 and 25 of head l8 will separate 'ito'p'ermit an the shuttle.

upward .sli'dingiof theistud 23 as lever 20 rises, as

described lin the :aforesaid .Patent No. 2,162,290. Since 'the'shuttlerfeeler engages the thread placer during "the latter part only of its motion toward shuttle :detecting position, the lever 53 will not be rocked and the placer Ed will remain elevated "without moving the weft into the tube 50. the next pick therefore the thread, not having .been out, will not be held by the wire 60 but will :be drawn intothe shed in the usual manner.

On asubsequent pick when the shuttle is properly placed the thread will-be severed and the thread placer lowered as already described.

When the wire descends as in the position "shown in Fig. 5 it Willbe held down by friction and when sub-atmospheric pressures next exist in the accumulator M], an inrushing column of air moving downwardly through the slot 52 will draw into the tube 50 that part of the thread extending from'the cutter 4% to the slot 52. This action ordinarily occurs when the shuttle is picked, thereby releasing the thread. When the thread is severediat the selvage on a subsequent beat-of the lay,the remainder of' the weft will be drawn intothe tube'Efl. It will be noted that i the column of air moving into the tube 50 has a forward motion-so that the thread will be drawn away'from'the bend 62 in the placer 60.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provideda thread remover for Weft replenishing looms comprising a pneumatic tube located under the path of the shuttle and having an inlet mouth or slot into which the thread is drawn. It will 'alsobe seen that the thread placer or wire 60 assists this removing operation by positively moving a portion of the thread 'into the tube 53. Furthermore, the thread placer 69 is controlled 'bythe shuttle fee'ler and does not descend if a misplaced shuttle revokes transfer by preventing a complete rearward motion of the shuttle feeler.

Another feature of my invention is the automatic disengagement between the lever 15 and the hook '12 after the hook has been moved rearwardly far enough to raise the wire Bil above the path of Also, the space between Having thus described my invention it will be 1. In a'pneumatic thread removing mechanism for a loomhaving 'alay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom '-'having means to cut the thread between the shuttleeye and the selvage, that improvement comprising a hollow member mounted on the lay under the path of the shuttle and having an intake mouth below the thread between the s'elvage and the means to cut the thread, means to push the thread downwardly through the intake mouth intothe hollow member, and means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the thread into said hollow member.

2. In a pneumaticthread removing mechanism "for a loom having a layan'dashuttle box thereon It is to be understood of course "that'the placer (it must be up before the shuttle arrives at the=magazine end of the loom. Otherwise the descending wire Bil could not move the thread into the slot '52.

the placer 6B and the bottom of tube 50, as sug- 'gested 'in Fig. 8, permits the thread to move forwardly from the parts '52 and d3 of the placer and-thence through tube M to the accumulator.

containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having means to cut the thread between the shuttle eye and the selvage, that improvement comprising a tube extending transversely of the lay under the path of the shuttle and having an elongated intake mouth extending transversely of the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer, means to move the thread placer downwardly on the thread and into the intake mouth to move a portion of the thread into the tube, and means to induce an inrush of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the tube.

3. In a pneumatic thread removing mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having means to cut the thread between the shuttle eye and the selvage,, that improvement comprising a tube mounted on and moving with the lay and extending transversely of the latter under the path of the shuttle, said tube having an elongated intake mouth extending transverse- 1y of the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer above the thread, means to move the placer downwardly on to the thread and into the intake mouth to move a portion of the thread into the tube, and means to induce an inrush of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the tube.

4. In a pneumatic thread removing mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having means to cut the thread between the shuttle eye and the selvage, that improvement comprising a tube secured to and extending transversely of the lay under the path of the shuttle and having an intake mouth extending across the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer above the tube having a rear portion from the forward end of which an upwardly inclined part extends, means to move the placer downwardly on the thread and move said portion thereof into the tube to place part of the thread in said tube, and means to cause a column of air to move into the intake mouth and downwardly and forwardly with respect to the placer to draw the remainder of the thread into the tube and move the same forwardly away from the upwardly inclined part of the placer.

5. In a pneumatic thread removing mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having means to cut the thread between the shuttle eye and the selvage, that improvement comprising a tube extending transversely of the lay under the path of the shuttle and having an elongated intake mouth extending transversely of the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer, means to move the thread placer downwardly on the thread and into the intake mouth to move a portion of the thread into the tube, and means to induce an inrush of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the tube, the placer having a part at the rear end thereof behind the thread to prevent that portion of the placer in front of said part from engaging the bottom of the tube.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having a part to be the thread between the shuttle eye and said adjacent selvage, that improvement comprising a tube secured to the lay and extending transversely under the path of the shuttle, the tube having anelongated intake mouth extending transversely of and under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer normally located in the tube under the thread, means operated by said part of the loom which moves preparatory to a replenishing operation to lift the thread placer to a position above the path of the shuttle prior to arrival of the shuttle in the shuttle box, means to move the thread placer downwardly on the thread after the shuttle has entered the shuttle box and move a portion of the thread into the intake mouth, and means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into said tube.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having provision for cutting the thread adjacent to the shuttle eye and having also a shuttle position detector movable across the path of the shuttle if the shuttle is properly boxed and prevented from moving across the path of the shuttle if the shuttle is improperly boxed on a replenishing beat of the loom, that improvement comprising a tube extending across the lay under the path of the shuttle and having an elongated intake mouth extending transversely of the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer above the thread, means operated by the shuttle positioning detector to move the placer down on the thread and into the intake mouth when the shuttle position detector moves across the shuttle path and thereby move a part of the thread into the tube, and means to induce an inrush of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the tube.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having provision for cutting the thread adjacent the shuttle eye on weft replenishing beats thereof, and the loom having a part movable preparatory to a weft replenishing operation of the loom and having also a shuttle position detector to be moved across the path of the shuttle if the latter be properly boxed and be prevented from moving across said path if the shuttle be improperly boxed on a replenishing beat of the loom, that improvement comprising a hollow member mounted on the lay beneath the path of the shuttle, said hollow member having an intake mouth extending transversely of the lay under the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer normally located in the hollow member, means operated by said part of the weft replenishing loom to lift the placer through the intake mouth to a position above the path of the shuttle prior to movement of the shuttle over said intake mouth when moving toward the shuttle box, means operated by the shuttle position detector when the latter moves across the path of the shuttle due to proper boxing of the shuttle to move the thread placer downwardly on the 75 thread and into the intake mouth to draw a portion of the thread into the hollow member, and means to induce an inrush of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into said hollow member.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with ashuttle containing a shuttle from the eye of which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having provision for cutting the thread adjacent the shuttle eye, that improvement comprising a hollow member secured to the lay below the shuttle path and having an intake mouth below the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer extending into the hollow member, means operative prior to passage of the shuttle over the hollow member on a weft replenishing beat of the loom to move the thread placer upwardly out of the intake mouth to a position above the shuttle path, friction means to hold the placer in raised position, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move the placer downwardly on the thread and into the intake mouth to move a portion of the thread into the hollow member, and means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the hollow member.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box containing a shuttle from the eye of which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having provision for cutting the thread adjacent the shuttle eye and having a part to be moved on a replenishing beat of the loom, that improvement comprising a hollow member secured to the lay under the shuttle path and having an intake mouth below the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer normally located within the hollow member, setting means operated by said part and movable from .one extreme position to another extreme position on a replenishing beat of the loom, an operating element connected to the thread placer to be moved by said setting means to lift the placer to a position above the shuttle path during the first part of the movement of said means from said one extreme position to said other extreme position, means to disconnect said element from the setting means before the latter reaches said other extreme position, means to lower the thread placer on to the thread and move a part thereof into the hollow member through the intake mouth while said means is at said other extreme of its motion, and means to induce a draft of air through the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the hollow member.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle containing a shuttle from the eye of which a thread extends along the lay to the adjacent selvage, the loom having provision for cutting the thread adjacent the shuttle eye, that improvement comprising a hollow member secured to the lay below the shuttle path and having an intake mouth below the thread between the selvage and the means to cut the thread, a thread placer extending into the hollow member, means operative prior to passage of the shuttle over the hollow member on a weft replenishing beat of the loom to move the thread placer upwardly out of the intake mouth to a position above the shuttle path, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move the placer downwardly on the thread and into the intake mouth to move a portion of the thread into the hollow member, and means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the remainder of the thread into the hollow member.

ALBERT CEDERLUND. 

